Tinamide (tinamide)

pl: [NL., Tina mus +-idæ.] The only family of dromœognathous carinate birds, taking name from the genus Tinamus, and peculiar to South America; the tinamous. The structure of the skull and espe cially of the bony palate is unique among carinate birds, and resembles that of ratite birds (see Dromæognatha ); but the sternum has a very large keel, like that of gall i naceous birds, and in many other respects the tinamous are related to the Gallinæ, with which they used to be cla ed. There are many anatomical peculiarities. The tail is quite short, or even entirely concealed by the cov erts: whence a synonym of the family, Crypturidæ, and about 50 in number, are referred to several genera - Ti the ordinal or subordinal name Crypturi. The species, namus and Crypturus, the two largest, with No tho cercus, Rhynchotus, Nothura, Taoniscus, Tinamotis, and Eudromia (or Calopezus ). See tinamou, and cuts under Crypturus, dromæognathous, Rhynchotus, tinamou, and Tinamus. Tinamomorphæ (tina-mō-môr'fē), n. pl. [NL., tinchel